“grab him/her/it”, “catch up to him/her/it”, “get him/her/it”
p’ulq’nuhw
“glance at him/her/it”, “glimpse him/her/it”
tul’nuhw
“learn it”
kw’usnuhw
“burn it accidentally (live thing)”
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yuqwnuhw
“burn it accidentally”
lukwnuhw
“break it”
kw’ulhnuhw
“spill it”
qw’aqwnuhw
“club him/her/it accidentally”
thuynuhw
“manage to repair/fix it”
xul’ts’nuhw
“manage to roll it over”
lhuqwnuhw
“splash it”, “get it wet”
xuq’nuhw
“scratch him/her/it accidentally”
suq’nuhw
“tear it accidentally”
q’a’nuhw
“put it in accidentally”
’ukw’nuhw
“lose him/her/it”
xulhnuhw
“hurt him/her accidentally”
13.3 Two types of transitives.
In Units Ten and Eleven, transitive verbs formed with -t were discussed. This unit shows examples of transitive verbs formed with the suffix -n. This suffix appears as -nuhw when there is a third person object. The transitive suffix -t expresses the notion of “control”, that is that an action was done intentionally. The transitive suffix -n expresses the notion of “out-of-control”, that is that an action was done unintentionally, accidentally, or with great difficulty. Compare the following pairs of sentences.
“I (accidentally) clubbed the man with the paddle.”
ni’ kwunutus.
“He took it.”
ni’ kwunnuhwus.
“He grabbed it.”/ “He managed to get ahold of it.”
ni’ tsun kwulusht kwthu spe’eth.
“I shot the bear.”
ni’ tsun kwlushnuhw kwthu spe’eth.
“I managed to shoot the bear.”
13.4 Pattern practice.
I saw the canoe.
ni’ tsun lumnuhw kwthu snuhwulh.
spilled
repaired
rolled over
scratched
lost
grabbed
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13.5 Pattern practice.
Did you accidentally hit the man?
ni’ ’u ch qw’uqwnuhw kwthu swuy’qe’?
splash
hurt
see
scratch
burn
glance at
13.6 The out-of-control paradigm.
Just like other transitive verb forms, the out-of-control transitive can be followed by object and passive suffixes.
lumnam’sh
“see me”
lumnamu
“see you”
lumnal’hw
“see us”
lumnalu
“see you (pl)”
lumnuhw
“see him/her/it/them”
ni’ lumnelum.
“I was seen.”
ni’ lumnaam.
“You were seen.”
ni’ lumnalum.
“We/you (pl) were seen.”
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ni’ lumnum.
“He/she/it was seen.”
13.7 Pattern practice.
My coat was found.
ni’ kwunnum kwthunu kapou.
torn
fixed
lost
put in with them
got wet
burned
13.8 Substitution drill.
She got her daughter.
ni’ kwunnuhwus lhu mun’us.
I: you
we: you (pl)
he: me
I: the woman
the man: us
you (pl): Mary
13.9 Substitution drill.
I was hurt by the dog.
ni’ xulhnelum ’u kwthu sqw’umey’.
you: by the dog
we: by the dog
John: by the dog
you (pl): by John
I: by John
the man: the dog
13.10 Out-of-control causatives.
The out-of-control transitive form -n can be used instead of the causative suffix -st to indicate that an action was caused without control. Compare the control causatives in the first column with the out-of-control causatives in the second column.
’itut-stuhw
’itutnuhw
“make them sleep”
“manage to get them to sleep”
’imushstuhw
’imushnuhw
“make them walk”
“manage to get them to walk”
’unuhwstuhw
’unuhwnuhw
“stop them”
“manage to get them to stop”
13.11 Pattern practice.
I managed to stop the children.
ni’ tsun ’unuhwnuhw kwthu stl’ul’iqulh.
take the children for a walk
make the children sit down
quiet the children down
put the children to sleep
get the children to work
get the children to run
13.12 -namut “manage to”.
The reflexive suffix -thut is used when the action is done on purpose. The reflexive suffix -namut is used when the action is out of control.
kwulushthut
kwulushnamut
“shoot oneself (on purpose)”
“shoot oneself (accidentally)”
q’a’thut
q’an’amut
“join” (“get oneself in with them”)
“manage to join” (“manage to get oneself in with them”)
When the out-of-control reflexive is suffixed to an intransitive verb, it takes on the meaning “manage to do something”.
Ah, sir. How are you? You managed to get here. Your car must have been fixed. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. Come in! Did you manage to sit here? Good. I’ll simmer some tea. You will eat a little something.